My Trusty K10D

By PF Staff in Influential Photo Gear on Dec 15, 2012

First off, let me state that I own a Pentax K-7, K10D and about twenty Pentax and 3rd-party lenses, including M, A and F, FA and DA lenses. But my most-used and trusted piece of equipment is the venerable K10D.

Why? Simple. It works, every time, under any condition. I think of this body as a digital K1000. It fits my hand and performs the task, without fuss or bother, no fancy menus to check off, no time wasted. It is a tool. A reliable tool.

Oh, sure, it's been upgraded, slightly. A BG-2 grip and Katzeye screen, both of which aid the functionality greatly. The screen helps with focusing the manual focus lenses and the grip provides double the battery life and a solid heft.

Which also adds to the weight and bulk, but I don't mind. Ergonomics are a very personal thing, each user finds the right fit.

By the standards of modern electronics, the K10D is a relic. Big, heavy and outdated. My K-7 has performed very well, but I used the "10" more. From the DA 35mm F2.4 AL to the Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 VMC Macro, all the lenses and accessories perform as they should. I have used this camera in 99 degree heat to sub-freezing temperatures, snow, rain and dust; Total darkness to blinding sunlight, crowded concerts to lonely sunrises. Never once has it failed to perform, exactly as I set the controls. Not once.

Rather than expound further on the virtues of a camera that is completely outdated by modern standards, allow me to show the result. Isn't that what counts, after all is said and done? This camera is, to me, the very essence of legacy. Pentax Legacy.

- Ron Evans (rbefly)